Swing, Splash, Shoot and Sail

Oct 24 2016

Suit up, shape up. If you’re looking to give some new sports a go – from teams to one-offs – there’s a heap of places to hit up, Gerard Ward finds.

Archery

Archery Club of Singapore542 Hougang Ave 8, Block 542, 5305429721 1933archeryclubspore.comKids and adults can join in on a basic course to get a hang of holding the bow and arrows, and the correct posture. Coaches will be nearby to make sure no one gets hurt getting accustomed to the traditional way of hunting. The club also runs the Punggol Trial Shoots for its members for those wanting a bit of competition. It’s $15 per person to join a group session – though there’s an initial $80 annual membership to get first.

Baseball Batting Cage

Homerun Baseball200 Pandan Gardens #01-01/02/03/04, 6093366635 6315hrb.com.sgSet up almost like a golf driving range, there are four places for people to whack some balls. The softball section pitches larger balls for those looking to hone in on hitting the ball first before advancing to the 80km, 90km and 100km pitching areas. The machines are fed by pre-paid tokens at the counter – each token gets 12 balls. At first you may not think it’s enough at $40 for 11 tokens (discounted if you become a member), but by the third go, you’ll start to feel certain muscles begin to ache.

Trampolines

Bounce SingaporeCathay Cineleisure, #09-01, 8 Grange Road, 2396956816 2879bounceinc.com.sgBounce Singapore has turned the top floor of Cathay Cineleisure into a haven for kids to be kids, and adults to be kids. The Free Jump area, has a dozen trampolines connected together, some in an L-shape with the wall, with soft padding – hiding those painful springs we’ve all fallen into at one point in time back in our youth. Three long trampolines lead to a massive ‘Big Bag’ inflatable pillow – best for those wanting to act on childish eagerness to practice front-flips, or just to jump in. There’s sixteen trampolines set up for dodgeball, and two basketball rings hovering over two trampolines – a basketballer’s dream to be able to dunk. One hour for kids under 110cm is $17, and for the taller kids-slash-adults, $24.

Surfing

Splash-N-Surf1B Stadium Walk, 3976906653 8900 sportshub.com.sgIf you don’t feel the surf gene in your DNA kick in when you’re in the water, then learn it. Kallang Wave Mall’s Splash-N-Surf Water Playground has a lazy river with inflatable tubes for relaxing, but the Stingray surfing half-pipe is where kids and adults can try a board, kneeboard or bodyboard. There’s a 1.2m height requirement as a heads up. One hour ranges from $35-$40 depending on peak times, but a Stingray lesson is $42 for adults, and $38 for kids 12 and under.

Ice Skating

The RinkJCube #03, 2 Jurong East Central 1, 6097316684 2374therink.sgFrom six years old and up, anyone wanting to learn the tricks of the ice can get a pair of skates and cruise around the rink – or grab some basic lessons – at The Rink at JCube. It doesn’t just stop at the basics, however. Those interested can up the ante and try their luck at some figure or speed skating lessons. Lessons start from $70 per 30-minute slot.

Fencing

Z Fencing293 Toa Payoh Lorong 6 #04-01, 3193876354 0102 zfencing.comSometimes it takes courage to want to defend yourself against a sabre, but luckily there’s a whole bunch of groups ready to teach you the craft of fencing. Z Fencing has a list of programmes set up for kids as young as 5 to adults who are wanting to wield some steel, though it’s not just swishing your foil or épée around – there’s a lot of rules, etiquette, footwork and mental techniques to learn. A 3-month term for kids will cost $706.20, and adult courses are $214 per package.

Go-Karting

KF1 Karting Circuit1 Turf Club Avenue, 7380786891 1191kf1karting.comSome may not see it as a sport per se, go-karting can be physically demanding and require quite a lot of strong reflexes – it’s also the closest the public can get to any F1-like activities. German Formula One track designer Hermann Tilke – responsible for creating the full-sized Marina Bay Street Circuit – designed the 960-meter, $2 million track complete with night-time lights. Riding go-karts at 50km/h engines (for those with licences, otherwise 30km/h) can be addictive. Sessions range from $35-$45 per 10-minutes session.

Table Tennis

OCBC Arena5 Stadium Drive, 3976316653 8900sportshub.com.sgPick up a couple of paddles and some balls from the local sports shop and book out one of the ten tables in OCBC Arena. Taking up half a basketball court, ten tables are laid out, sectioned off by waist-high fencing. For $6.50 an hour you can whack away in your own space dedicated to table tennis. Booking online is incredibly easy, there’s no membership fee required, and the best part is you won’t feel bad if you’re not a pro – just try not to hit on to the other tables too much.

Ice Hockey

Singapore Ice Hockey AssociationJCube #03, 2 Jurong East Central 1, 609731siha.org.sgThe Singapore Ice Hockey Association (SIHA) runs a handful of programs from youth development to an adult ice hockey league for men and women. They also support the Rink’s Advance Learn-to-Skate program – commonly known as Learn-to Play – for beginners. Get in touch to find out how you can join in the team or start your ice hockey journey. Games are held at The Rink at JCube – the same place where beginners attend their training lessons.

Sailing

Changi Sailing Club32 Netheravon Road, 5085086545 2876csc.org.sgFrom the single-person Optimist dinghy all the way up to keelboat crew member, Changi Sail Club runs weekend training courses to get you up to speed with competent sailing techniques. You’ll be shown everything that you need to know, from the parts of the boat and points of sail to rigging and learning to avoid collisions and recovering after being capsized. Four full-day courses start from $361.65 – or cheaper if you’re a member.

Kayaking

Adventure Paddlers131 Pasir Ris Road, 519148 9737 7944adventurepaddlers.com.sgThere’s kayaking in MacRitchie Reservoir, but heading out to sea is the next step up. The company that shares space with the Ohama Beach House along Pasir Ris Beach rents out kayaks at an affordable $10 an hour per person, or $50 for the day. Adventure Paddlers teaches courses to properly deal with the types of challenges you’ll face. If you don’t mind paddling far, you can also arrange for an expedition to places like Pulau Ubin – check out the Facebook page for a camping trip through the islands of Bintan.

ANZA was founded in 1948 to provide friendship and support amongst the Australian and New Zealand families based in Singapore. ANZA has since grown to a membership base of more than 7000, representing a range of nationalities. We still focus on building community, with everything from charity work to children's sports, and a wide range of social events.
47A Kampong Bahru Road, SIngapore 169361 SG (+65) 6223 7992